قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أُنذِرُكُم بِٱلْوَحْىِ ۚ وَلَا يَسْمَعُ ٱلصُّمُّ ٱلدُّعَآءَ إِذَا مَا يُنذَرُونَ 45
Translations
Say, "I only warn you by revelation." But the deaf do not hear the call when they are warned.
Transliteration
Qul innama undhirukum bil-wahy wa la yasma'u as-summu ad-du'aa idha ma yundhharun
Tafsir (Explanation)
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is commanded to tell the disbelievers that he warns them only through divine revelation, not through worldly power or coercion. The ayah uses the metaphor of the deaf not hearing a call to illustrate that those who close their hearts to the message—despite clear warning—cannot be forced to believe, just as the physically deaf cannot hear sound. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this demonstrates the limits of the Prophet's responsibility: he conveys the message clearly, but belief ultimately depends on Allah's will and the listener's openness of heart.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan period when the Prophet faced persistent rejection from Quraysh. It is situated within Surah Al-Anbiya's broader theme of previous prophets and their struggles with their peoples' disbelief. The context addresses the Prophet's concern about the people's rejection despite his sincere efforts to warn them, reassuring him that his role is only to deliver the message through revelation, not to force acceptance.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet said, 'The example of guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me is like abundant rain falling on the earth, some of which is fertile soil that absorbs water and brings forth vegetation and herbage in abundance. And some of which is hard ground that holds the water...' (Muslim 2282). This illustrates the varying receptivity of people to divine guidance, similar to the ayah's point about spiritual deafness.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers should recognize that while they are responsible for conveying the message of Islam with wisdom and clarity, they cannot force others to accept it—this mirrors the Prophet's own role and teaches us to focus on delivering the message sincerely while entrusting the results to Allah. Additionally, we must examine our own hearts to ensure we are not among the spiritually 'deaf' who hear the truth but refuse to heed it.
Related Ayahs
وَإِذَا رَءَاكَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِن يَتَّخِذُونَكَ إِلَّا هُزُوًا أَهَـٰذَا ٱلَّذِى يَذْكُرُ ءَالِهَتَكُمْ وَهُم بِذِكْرِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ هُمْ كَـٰفِرُونَ
And when those who disbelieve see you, [O Muḥammad], they take you not except in ridicule, [saying], "Is this the one who mentions [i.e., insults] your gods?" And they are, at the mention of the Most Merciful, disbelievers.
وَجَعَلْنَـٰهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا وَأَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْهِمْ فِعْلَ ٱلْخَيْرَٰتِ وَإِقَامَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَإِيتَآءَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةِ ۖ وَكَانُوا۟ لَنَا عَـٰبِدِينَ
And We made them leaders guiding by Our command. And We inspired to them the doing of good deeds, establishment of prayer, and giving of zakāh; and they were worshippers of Us.
وَكَمْ قَصَمْنَا مِن قَرْيَةٍ كَانَتْ ظَالِمَةً وَأَنشَأْنَا بَعْدَهَا قَوْمًا ءَاخَرِينَ
And how many a city which was unjust have We shattered and produced after it another people.
وَلُوطًا ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا وَنَجَّيْنَـٰهُ مِنَ ٱلْقَرْيَةِ ٱلَّتِى كَانَت تَّعْمَلُ ٱلْخَبَـٰٓئِثَ ۗ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ قَوْمَ سَوْءٍ فَـٰسِقِينَ
And to Lot We gave judgement and knowledge, and We saved him from the city that was committing wicked deeds. Indeed, they were a people of evil, defiantly disobedient.